The Princess and the Dragon
by TheSoulDragonSlayer
Summary: A story about Levy and Gajeel falling for each other. Can one find the strength to protect the other in the face of danger? Set after the Grand Magic Games. Rated T for language. Sorry, I suck at summaries.
1. Chapter 1

It was just after noon when Gajeel walked into the guild hall. The place was almost deserted, with just Macao and Wakaba chatting in a corner, and Mira behind the bar. He also saw Levy kneeling next to a big wooden crate. The box looked to be almost as big as her and it sparked his curiosity. He walked over to her. "Sup, shorty?"

"Oh, hi Gajeel!" Levy looked up at him with the smile that always made his heart beat a little faster. "Did you just get back from a job?"

Gajeel nodded. "Didn't take as long as i expected. Juvia was supposed to come too, but she didn't show. Probably off following Salamander's team again."

Levy giggled, picturing Juvia crouched in a bush watching Gray.

"So what's in the crate?" He lightly kicked the corned of the box with the toe of his boot. It didn't move, so it was definitely something heavy.

Levy's eyes gleamed with excitement. "Ancient texts! A client sent them over. He wants me to decipher a code using these books as references. Only thing is, there are a lot more of them than I expected, and now I have to figure out how to carry them all!" She smiled sheepishly while running her hand through her hair.

"I'll help you out shorty. Where are you gonna take 'em?" He ruffled her hair, one of his favorite methods of teasing her.

"Really! thanks so much!" Levy's eyes lit up with gratitude, not even caring that he was messing up her hair. "I'm taking them back to Fairy Hills with me."

Gajeel rubbed his head uncertainly. "I thought guys weren't allowed at the girls' dorm?" He was reckless sometimes, but he wasn't stupid enough to incur the wrath of Erza or one of the other girls who lived there.

Levy peeked around him to see if Mira was still behind the bar. "Mira's not here and all the girls are out on jobs. There won't be anyone there to see you. We'll be fine, trust me!" She smiled such a cute smile that Gajeel felt his resolve melt away.

"Ok." He agreed gruffly, and bent down to hide the expression on his face. He picked up the crate effortlessly and rested it on his shoulder. "Lead the way."

_He acts so scary all the time, but he's actually really kind and thoughtful._ Levy thought as they made their way through the streets of Magnolia. Gajeel was smiling, which was something she used to never see him do. The Iron Dragon Slayer was indeed an intimidating person, but she had stopped fearing him long ago. _I'm glad Fairy Tail has finally become his home. The entire guild has grown closer with all the things we've gone through recently. Even the two of us have been through a lot together. _She blushed, thinking of all the things that had happened on Tenrou Island and at the Grand Magic Games.

Gajeel noticed her red face and frowned at her. "Hey shorty, ya got a fever or somethin'?

Levy jumped. "What? No! I'm fine!" she blurted out, flustered. "Look, we're here!" She walked on ahead, eager to get away from her awkward thoughts. He looked after her with an unreadable expression, but followed.

She led him to the second floor, and to her room. "Here we are!" she said, opening the door with a flourish and stepping in. The walls were lined with bookshelves, all of them overflowing. A bookcase divided the room in half, one side containing her desk and most of the books, and the other side with her bed, couch, kitchenette, etc. Gajeel stepped in and set the crate down on the floor. "Ya sure got a lot of books, shorty." he said, looking around at all the volumes.

Her voice came from the other side of the apartment. "I only keep the ones I _really _like. Want some tea? I can make some."

"Sure."

Soon they were sitting on her couch drinking tea and eating cake. Gajeel seemed unsure of how to hold the teacup, which made Levy giggle, and made him embarrassed. He crossed his arms and huffed, leaning back in his seat. "Here, let me show you." Levy said kindly, demonstrating how to properly hold the cup. She placed his cup in his hands, positioning his fingers so he wouldn't drop it. When she realized she was holding his hands she began to blush again and let her own hands drop, ending the miniature lesson.

"So why isn't Lily with you today?" Levy was suprised that Panther Lily hadn't gone on a job with Gajeel. It was unlike him to leave his friend's side.

"He went to do some special training in the woods. Wanted to go alone, so I let him be. What about your two pals? They helpin you with this job?"

Levy shook her head. "Jet and Droy got used to working together during those seven years, so they went on a seperate request. This is just a translation job anyway, so they wouldn't have been any help."

"Hmm." Gajeel noticed a sad tone in her voice and on her face. "You're still upset about all that time we lost, huh?"

She nodded, tears welling up in her eyes. "I know it's stupid. We've been back for months now, and everything is almost back to the way it was, but..." She bit her lip. still fighting the tears. "We still missed so much! Everyone was forced to go on with their lives; they probably even forgot about us at some points! I just..." Levy stopped aruptly when she felt Gajeel's warm hand on top of her's.

She turned to look at him, but he was staring straight down at the floor. "I can't pretend to understand how you feel. No one was waitin' for me, so it wasn't any different coming home. But we're all together now and it's like you said: everything's almost back to the way it was." He lifted his head and looked her straight in the eye. "So stop your damn crying."

Levy wanted to cry even more after that. She wanted to say that she'd always be waiting for him and to throw herself into his arms. But she didn't. Instead she smiled and wiped the tears from her face. "You're right. Sorry you had to see me be such a baby."

Gajeel grunted. He felt really awkward after that little speech. But at least shorty has stopped crying. He really hated it when she cried, even though it was kinda cute...

"I guess I should unpack those books now. Thanks again for carrying them for me."

He snapped back to reality. "I can help if you want."

"Are you sure? You already helped so much." Levy was suprised that he was offering to stay, especially after her outburst. Crying definitely wasn't attractive or pleasant.

"Yeah I'm sure. I got nothin' better to do." Gajeel wasn't totally sure why he wanted to stay so much. Maybe he didn't want to go back home without Lily, or maybe he just liked being around Levy. Whatever the reason, he was probably going to spend the next few hours knee deep in musty books.


	2. Chapter 2

Hey y'all! I'm so happy that I already have three followers and a lovely review from ThreeDarkAngels for this story! In celebration I am giving you Chapter 2! (It's also because I forgot to put author's notes on the first chapter lol.) I won't be posting chapters regularly because I'm in the second half of my senior year of high school and it's going to be pretty hectic. I already have a few chapters written and I'm going to update whenever I feel I should. (Don't worry I won't make you wait too long!) This story won't be super long: probably around 10 chapters or so. (Okay, maybe a bit more.) Enjoy! :D

Chapter 2

A few hours later they were almost done sorting the books. Gajeel picked one up by the back cover and sniffed it cautiously. "This smells like mold and rat shit." he stated with disgust.

"Thanks for the observation." Levy said sarcastically, snatching it back. "These books are old and valuable, so don't treat them like toys!"

"Sorry. But there's not really any point to a book if I can't read it."

"Well I can read it, so it's not pointless." Levy looked up at the clock. "Oh, it's almost dinner time! Let me see what I can whip up for us." She got up and picked her way around the stacks of books on the floor.

"You don't have to_"

"Yes, I do. You helped me out a ton today and it's the least I can do. And don't worry, I actually know how to cook." She winked before disappearing around the corner of the bookcase, and didn't see him start to blush. He felt his hot cheeks and was utterly shocked that he was blushing. He crossed his arms across his chest and turned even redder.

"Damn. I'm gonna turn into the Salamander if I don't stop this." he muttered to himself.

"Did you say something?" Levy called.

"No, I just stubbed my toe."

He heard giggling from the other side of the apartment. "You should be more careful then. Dinner's ready if you want to come over here."

He heaved himself off the floor and followed the delicious scent to the food. Levy was standing in front of her small stove, which had a steaming pot on top of it. She smiled over her shoulder at him. "I made beef stew! Sit down and I'll bring it to you."

He sat on the couch, feeling a bit uncomfortable. He wasn't used to people cooking for him.

"Sorry I don't have a dining table. It's just me so I've never needed one." Levy handed him a steaming bowl of soup and a piece of bread.

"Thanks. It's cool; I don't eat at the table either." He ate a mouthful, with an impressed look on his face. "Mmmmm this is really good."

She laughed. "Thank you. It would be better, but I used magic. It's usually not a smart idea to use magic for cooking, but I wanted to get it done quickly."

"Well damn. I know how to cook but it's not nearly as good as this." Levy blushed at his compliment. "So you cook for yourself then?"

"Yeah. Lily does too sometimes, but neither of us are very good at it."

She smiled, picturing Lily in a frilly apron and chef's hat. "If you don't mind my asking, where do you live? I know the guild doesn't have a men's dorm."

"I have a cabin in the woods. It's small, but it suits my needs. Rent's really cheap too."

That really piqued Levy's interest. She mustered up her courage and asked "Do you think you could show it to me some time? It sounds really nice."

Gajeel shrugged his shoulders. "I guess so. It's not real messy, so I wouldn't have to clean or anything for visitors."

By this time they were done with their food, and Levy put the dirty dishes in the sink. Then she turned and put her hands on her hips. "Now I'm going to start translating the code." She gave him a mischievous look. "Wanna see how the magic's done?"

He looked her up and down, as if he was pondering her question. Then he shrugged his shoulders again. "Sure. Why not?"

It was past twelve o'clock when Levy finally put down her pen. She rubbed her eyes and turned to look for Gajeel. She smiled softly when she saw him asleep in her armchair. He had gotten bored of her work rather quickly (which she had fully expected). He hadn't left though, which still had her confused. She was too tired to give it much more thought though. She grabbed a blanket off the end of her bed and covered him with it, then winced as he promptly snored like a bear. Levy couldn't help but giggle. Thank goodness she didn't have any neighbors on this side to wonder why she was suddenly snoring like a vulcan. She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek before going to her bed. As her eyes drifted shut she thought: _would I have had the courage to do that if he was awake?_

_Isn't Gajeel so cute? 3 (Sorry this chapter was a little short, the next one is longer.)_


	3. Chapter 3

**Kon'nichiwa minna! I decided to go ahead and give y'all chapter 3. I had to force myself to wait to post this in order to space it out since chapter 4 isn't done yet. I don't know when 4 will be out because I'm a bit stressed out right now. Thursday i got some amazing news regarding a college scholarship and then Friday my entire school community got some horrible news. So yeah, this weekend has been an emotional rollercoaster. I've been coping by sewing myself a Natsu plushie lol. Sorry for rambling! Enjoy! (And Happy Columbus Day to my fellow Americans!)**

**PS: to Anon, yes there is a lot of fluff in my stories because I love fluff :)**

Chapter 3

Gajeel was having a strange dream involving Tenrou Island and beef stew when he awoke suddenly. He looked over and his eyes widened when he saw Levy asleep a few feet away. Then he remembered where he was. _Oh yeah, I spent the night at Levy's place. Damn, this chair is comfortable. I haven't slept that well in a while. _He sat up straight, scratching his head. _What time is it anyway? _He looked at the clock and saw that it was already nine in the morning. "Shit. Levy, rise and shine!" He threw a throw pillow at her face.

Levy woke with a start. "What'd you do that for?" She pouted in annoyance.

"It's already nine o'clock."

"WHAT!?" she shrieked. Grabbing clothes, she ran into the bathroom. "I'll be out in ten minutes! There's coffee in the cabinet if you want."

Gajeel looked in the cabinet and found the jar of instant coffee. He put water in the kettle and took two flower printed mugs off a shelf. A few minutes later he was drinking the semi-disgusting coffee while staring at the spines of the thousands of books crowding the apartment. When Levy came out of the steamy bathroom he handed her her own cup.

"Thanks." she said, accepting the beverage. "You can shower now if you want."

"Yeah, I think I will." He put down his mug and went into the bathroom. "There's a blue towel in there you can use." Levy called after him. He waved in response.

When he came back out, towel drying his hair, Gajeel saw Levy at her desk. It looked like she was still translating the same code. "Is that the same thing as last night?" he asked, leaning over her shoulder.

"Mhm. I almost finished it last night but i was too tired. And now it's done! All ready to send to the client." She smiled up at him cheerfully.

"Does that mean we gotta take the books back?"

Levy laughed. "No, you don't have to carry all those books again. The client is sending someone to pick them up as soon as he gets the translation."

He breathed a sigh of relief. "Should we get going then?"

She nodded and got up. "We gotta be sneaky though. I doubt anyone is still here, but we have to make sure you're not seen. I'll go first to scout the way." Levy peeked out the door to make sure no one was in the hallway. The coast was clear, so she led him across the hall and down the stairs. No one was in the lobby either, and they managed to make it out scot free. Levy sighed in relief. "We were lucky."

Gajeel raised an eyebrow at her. "I thought you said no one was here this time of day?"

She blushed. "Well yeah, but you never know." She started fiddling with her purse strap and dropped it. They both reached down at the same time, their faces just inches away. Their cheeks flushed simultaneously and they looked away from each other. Gajeel picked up her bag and handed it to her.

"Thanks." she said. In her mind she was screaming. _Great! Now this whole walk is going to be super awkward! Was he blushing too? I can't believe we were that close..._

When the pair finally reached the guild hall they walked in together without thinking how people would react. The first person Levy saw was Lucy and she noticed a confused look in her friend's eye. She waved and walked over to where Lucy and Natsu were sitting together. "Why'd you come in with Gajeel?" Lucy asked, gesturing to where he stood at the request board.

"O-oh! Uh, we just got here at the same time is all." Levy was trying her very best not to blush or look awkward. It wasn't working very well. Lucy saw through the lie right away. She turned on Natsu. "We're talking girl stuff. Go find us a job."

Natsu shrugged. "Whatever, I wasn't even listening. C'mon Happy!"

When he was safely at the request board Lucy faced back towards her. "Spill. What happened?"

Levy sighed. "Alright. He helped me carry some books home yesterday, and..." She fidgeted in her seat, not wanting to continue.

"And?"

"And he spent the night at my place." Lucy stared at her, dumbfounded. "We didn't do anything though! I swear!" Levy turned redder than should have been humanly possible.

"Oh my gosh Levy I'm so happy for you! But I thought guys weren't allowed in the girl's dorm?"

"I told you, it's not like that! And yeah, they're not allowed but nobody else was home. Please don't tell Erza I broke the rules! She'll take my head off!"

Lucy laughed. "Like I'd tell Erza! She'd kill _me _for tattling. So tell me everything!"

Levy spent the next few minutes recounting every detail of her afternoon/evening to her eager audience.

"Well you sure had an interesting time. I wonder why he didn't just go home if he was bored?"

"I was wondering that too. But we'll probably never know. Dragons are mysterious creatures. If you don't mind, I have to give this to Mirajane to send to a client." Levy pulled the paper with the translation out of her bag.

"Yeah, I should find where Natsu wandered off to." Lucy said, looking around. "See ya!"

Levy approached the bar to give her paper to Mira. "Here's the translation for that client. Could you tell him he can send someone to pick up the books whenever he's ready?"

Mira nodded. "Sure thing! Now, what's going on with you and Gajeel?" She leaned over the bar, an eager look on her face.

Levy groaned inwardly. "Nothing happened!"

"Oh?" She had that devilish look in her eye that all the single girls in Fairy Tail feared. "How did you get that big crate to Fairy Hills all on your own then? I left for one minute and when I came back you, the crate, and Gajeel were all gone."

Levy was speechless. Curse Mira's perceptive eye for potential romance. "I..."

"Oh, look who's coming!" Mira leaned back, a big smile on her face. Levy turned to see Gajeel approaching with a job request in his hand. She wished she had the power to blend into the woodwork like Laki.

He showed the flyer to Mirajane. "I'm takin' this one."

She wrote it in her ledger. "Ok you're good to go!"

Gajeel was about to leave, but then he turned back. "Hey, shorty. If you still wanna see my place come by tomorrow. I"ll even give ya the grand tour." He grinned at her before sauntering off.

She stood there in absolute shock. _Shit! And right in fromt of Mira!_ She groaned out loud this time. Now the whole guild was going to know she and Gajeel were "dating" by noon.

Notes: 1) I feel like wizards would be early risers in order to get the good jobs and be able to return home before dark.

2) The girls fear Mira cuz she's the matchmaker from hell. Which is why I love her XD

Anyway, aren't they just like a married couple? I wanted to emphasize how comfortable they've grown around each. This chapter is fluff as well, but never fear! The action will start in Chapter 5. I have some suspenseful plans for this story, so just you wait! Sayonara!


	4. Chapter 4

Yay! I finally got this done! I worked really hard these past couple days to get this uploaded before I go away for a music festival. It's been a little while since i last updated. This is another fluff chapter, but the actiony stuff begins to unfurl in the next chapter. There is something important here though, so watch out! ;) Enjoy!

Chapter 4

The next afternoon Levy was getting ready to head to Gajeel's. Mira had given her directions to his house, though with a rather smug expression on her face. Levy hadn't even gone into the guild today, not wanting to be bombarded with questions. But as soon as Lucy had heard she demanded that she come over after her "date". Levy had spent the day debating whether or not to cancel with Gajeel. True, she wanted to go, but what would come of it? She realized that she was starting to have feelings for him; though she didn't know whether he felt the same. If he didn't... Levy shook herself. She needed to stop being so negative. She would go and whatever happened, happened.

Mira's directions led her to the woods surrounding Magnolia. There she found a path that wound among the trees. Levy had never been in ths part of the forest before; as she walked she marveled at the beauty of it. It was a peaceful place, with colorful flowers and moss covered rocks. Her surroundings were so enchanting that it felt like no time at all before Levy reached Gajeel's cabin. His home wasn't quite what she had expected. It was rather cute actually, except for the piles of scrap iron littering the yard. Those kind of took away from the charm of the old cabin. She adored the dark green trim and window boxes adorning the little wooden house. She was standing, taking it all in when Gajeel came around the side of the building.

"Hey, shorty!" he called, pulling on a shirt as he walked.

"Oh, hi Gajeel. Did I interrupt something?" Levy was uncomfortable seeing him like this, all sweaty and... hot.

"Naw, I was just movin' some scrap around in the back."

"I noticed you have quite a bit of it... I thought you said your house was clean?" she said teasingly.

"I said the inside is clean. I never said anything about the outside." He made his way to the front door and led her inside. Gajeel's house was small, but it was homey. There was a large main room, a bedroom. and a bathroom. In the main room there was a fireplace with a couple of couches in front of it, a desk, and a kitchen along the back wall of the room. The thing that caught Levy's attention immediately was a tall bookshelf full of tomes. Her eyes lit up immediately.

"You didn't tell me you had so many books, Gajeel! I thought you didn't like to read?" Levy looked at him curiously.

"I never said that. I'll read a book every once in a while, I just ain't a bookworm like you. Most of these were from Metalicana. The old lizard loved books. I was still a runt when he taught me to read and write. I think you would've liked him, shorty." Gajeel was smiling slightly and he had an almost nostalgic glint in his eye. A warm feeling rose up in Levy's chest and she couldn't help but smile a loving smile, a few tears pricking at her eyes. She tried to hide her face.

"So which one is your favorite?" she asked briskly.

"I haven't read a lot of 'em because they're in other languages. Metalicana only ever taught me the common tongue. I guess my favorite is this one." Gajeel pulled a thick, gilded volume off of the shelf. "It's just a bunch of fairy tales but Dad used to read them to me when i was a kid." Gajeel didn't know what was wrong with him. He had never told anyone but Lily about his childhood, not even Juvia. Why was Levy so special? Why did he have the urge to pour out his soul to her?

Levy took the heavy book from him and carefully flipped through it. The yellowed pages had beautifully colored borders and pictures. This ancient book was definitely valuable. Near the end Levy noticed a slip of paper with writing in between the pages. It wasn't in the common tongue, but the same ancient language as the code from her last job. Her curiosity was immediately piqued. She was going to show it to Gajeel when she noted that it was only a few words. _Oh, it's probably just a scrap that got stuck in here. _Her excitement faded a little. _But I think I'll investgate anyway. _

"Gajeel, would I be able to borrow this book for a couple days?"

He looked down at her and shrugged. "Sure. I haven't read it in years anyway. Do you want the rest of the tour before or after we eat?

"You don't have to cook for me." Levy said hurriedly.

"You cooked for me. I'm just returnin' the favor. So, before or after?"

Levy thought for a minute. She had to go to Lucy's later so before was probably best. "Before." She smiled up at him.

Gajeel's heart skipped a beat as he nodded. "This way then, though there's not much to see." He showed her the bedroom and bathroom before leading her to the backyard. There was lots of scrap iron here too, though it was stacked neatly as opposed to the front yard. "Well that's it." Without another word Gajeel walked back towards the house with Levy following. The whole place fascinated her. It really was very clean. She had expected it to be more like Natsu's place since the two of them were so similar. Maybe it was his desire to be different from Natsu that drove him to be neat?

Levy sat at the kitchen table while Gajeel started making dinner. She noticed that he worked pretty quickly and efficiently. She doubted he was as bad a cook as he said. "Can i help with anything? I hate just sitting here."

"Naw, this recipe is easy. Idiot proof, really. Even Salamander could do it without burning down the house."

Levy giggled. "You shouldn't call him names," she chided. "Everybody knows that you two actually like each other, no matter how much you fight."

"tch." Gajeel seemed to disagree but he didn't deny it.

Their dinner of chicken and roasted potatoes was simple but delicious. They were quiet at first, but it wasn't an uncomfortable silence. Levy was thinking of about a thousand different things a minute, and her mind focused on one thing.

"Do you know when Lily is coming back?" She had felt like something was missing since she had arrived, and she now realized what it was. Levy and Pantherlily had a special bond. The Exceed didn't like being treated as a toy, and usually wouldn't let himself be held. The only person who could hold him was Levy. He must have recognized her caring nature and been impressed by it.

Gajeel shook his head. "Lily will come back when he's ready. He likes to do his own thing." Gajeel didn't want to let on to how much he really missed his partner.

Levy nodded. "I understand. Would you let me know when he comes home? I miss him." She could tell right away that Gajeel missed Lily even more than she did. She thought it best to change the subject after Gajeel grunted his agreement to her question. She looked around for inspiration and saw his guitar in a corner. "You haven't performed at the guild in a while."

"Tch. It's cuz the others don't like my singin'. My playin' isn't bad though." He seemed to be rather insulted that the other guild members didn't like his music.

"I've read a lot of books on how to play guitar but I"ve never been able to get it right." Levy admitted sheepishly.

Gajeel looked at her appraisingly, and seemed to come to a decision. "No book is a substitute for a good teacher. If ya really wanna learn I'll teach ya."

Levy was ecstatic. She had always wanted to play an instrument, but she had never told anyone this. Very early in life she had discovered that she did not have a talent for singing. Trying to sing a song for her kindergarden class had led to her running out in tears. After that she had decided an instrument was her best bet for becoming a musician. Of course, after she learned she was a wizard the desire to be a musician had lessened considerably. "Really? You'll teach me?" she asked as they cleared the table.

"Yeah. Do ya wanna start now?" Gajeel figured teaching her might actually be fun. She would be a good student at least.

Levy nodded, her eyes bright with glee.

A couple hours later Levy lifted her head, smiling. She had finally learned to play a scale. Gajeel nodded approvingly, not showing how impressed he really was. _It took me almost a week to get that scale down. _

Levy glanced at the clock and realized how late it was. "I have to go!" she exclaimed, jumping up. Gajeel looked taken aback, but only for an instant. "I promised Lucy I would come by tonight. She said she had something for me. Thanks for dinner and for being my teacher." She smiled up at him, and his heart fluttered again. _Damn. _

"No problem, shorty." he said, ruffling her hair.

"Bye! And thanks for mending me the book!" she called as she ran out.

Gajeel stood in the doorway and waved after her. When she was gone he went back inside and headed to bed. The little house suddenly felt really empty.

Hope y'all liked it! Arigato gozaimas! 3


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey minna! So I think I'm gonna update regularly on Wednesdays. This chapter is pretty long because I couldn't find a good place to stop. It's also mostly fluff but the action is about to start! (Did anyone read the latest chater of the manga? the feels man!) Enjoy!~TheSoulDragonSlayer**

As soon as Levy entered Magnolia she headed towards Lucy's apartment. She walked along the edge of the canal and waved to the men who always rode their boat on it. Humming the scale from before, she climbed the stairs to her best friend's door. Lucy opened it before she even got the chance to knock. "Tell me everything!" she squealed, pulling Levy inside.

Levy sat on the couch while Lucy made some tea. She was pretty confident now that Gajeel actually liked spending time with her. And yet... she couldn't tell if he had any romantic feelings towards her. Her confused thoughts were interrupted by Lucy plopping down next to her.

"Now, tell me what happened! Did he kiss you?" Lucy's chocolate brown eyes were alight with curiosity and mischief.

"No, nothing like that! He showed me around, we ate dinner, and he started to teach me to play the guitar." Levy turned red, wishing she hadn't shown up for this interrogation session.

"He's teaching you guitar? that's so sweet! What did you talk about? Is he a good cook?" Lucy fired off questions at a rapid pace. Levy help up her hand to interrupt the flow.

"Yes, he's a pretty good cook. We talked about a lot of things: Pantherlily, the guitar, food, his house, Metalicana, and books. Oh! I almost forgot! He also lent me this." Levy reached down and pulled Gajeel's book out of her bag.

Lucy oooed at how beautiful it was. "Where did he get such an old and valuable book?"

"It was Metalicana's."

"Gajeel actually talked about Metalicana? He never does that. Did he tell you about his childhood too?"

Levy nodded uncertainly. "Yeah, but I'd rather not repeat it since it's personal."

"I understand. But telling you secrets means Gajeel must really trust you. Probably more than anyone else in the guild." Lucy could sense the special bond that Levy shared with the Iron Dragon Slayer. The two of them would get together if she had anything to say about it.

"I don't think so. He and Juvia are really close." Levy said doubtfully.

"Yeah, but their relationship is different. I'm _sure_ he has feelings for you, Levy. You just have to wait for him to realize them." Lucy squeezed her best friend's hand reassuringly. Levy smiled at the blonde in return. She was just a little more hopeful now.

"I would love to stay longer but I have to get home. Thanks for the tea Lu-chan."

That night Levy fell asleep with the guitar scale stuck in her head.

A few days later Levy was sitting by herself in the guild hall, reading a rune dictionary while eating toast and scrambled eggs. She was so absorbed in the ancient writing she didn't even hear heavy footsteps come up behind her. She did, however, notice when she was picked up by the strap of her dress. This time Gajeel set her on her feet right away. She glared up at him, cheeks blazing, a piece of toast still hanging from her mouth.

"Why'd you do that?" she squealed.

"I need to ask you somethin'." he said, totally unfazed by her reaction.

"What is it?" Levy's whole face was red by now, from both anger and embarrasment.

"Will ya go on a job with me?" He held up a request flyer for her to see.

Levy's jaw dropped. "M-me?!"

Gajeel nodded and frowned slightly, a little annoyed at her reaction. "O' course. The job is to catch some thieves but it requires someone who knows about runes and stuff. And I need a partner since Lily isn't back."

She read over the flyer carefully. The client was located in Pinegrove so they would have to take the train. Even then it would be a five hour trip. The reward was pretty good though. She nodded in agreement. "Ok. Should we meet at the train station in an hour?"

He agreed and took the flyer to show Mira. The barmaid shot Levy a mischievious look over Gajeel's shoulder. She rolled her eyes and headed for the door. She didn't have time to tell Lucy where she was going but she was sure Mira would tell her the second she arrived at the guild.

One hour later Levy entered Magnolia train station with her overnight bag. She spotted Gajeel's tall form through the crowd and made her way over to him. "Hey. What train are we taking?"

He pointed silently to the train closest to them. Levy noticed that he looked pale and slightly nauseous. Then she recalled the Chariot competition at the Grand Magic Games. "Oh no! I forgot you get motion sickness too!" She looked at him with concern.

"I'll be fine. I ain't as bad as Salamander." He strode off toward the passenger car, though his steps were a little shaky. She doubted he would be fine but she followed after him anyway.

As soon as the train started to move Gajeel did indeed turn very green. He tried for a little bit to act like he was fine, but he couldn't even open his mouth without gagging. After a while he fell asleep and prompty tipped over, his head landing in Levy's lap. She smiled sympathetically and stroked his hair. The rest of the trip was uneventful except for passersby giggling or smiling at the big man passed out on the small woman's lap. Around lunchtime Levy flagged down the man with the snack cart and got herself a sandwich without moving from her position.

When they finally arrived in Pinegrove she put away her book and shook Gajeel's shoulder gently to wake him. He sat up groggily; he already looked much better now that they weren't moving. "C'mon sleepyhead we're here." Levy pulled him to his feet and guided him off the car. He grunted, then turned pink when he saw she was holding his hand; however she didn't notice until they were on the steps of the train station. She quickly dropped it upon realization and pulled out the request flyer, burying her red face in it. Once she found the client's address she set off in the right direction. Gajeel followed silently, still getting over his motion sickness.

After twenty minutes of walking they found themselves at the front door of a large house. When they knocked the door was opened by a maid. "Hello, we're the wizards from Fairy Tail." The pair showed her their guild emblems. She nodded and bowed them inside. "Mr. Tohiba is waiting for you in his study. This way." The mages were led to the client's office, where a tall, skinny man with a moustache to rival the Master's was sitting behind the desk. He stood up when they entered.

"Thank you for coming. My name is Mr. Tohiba. Please sit down and I will explain the details of your mission." He gestured to a pair of chairs in front of his desk. They sat, Gajeel looking very uncomfortable in such a formal environment. "Firstly, what are your names?"

Levy answered for the both of them. "My name is Levy McGarden and this is Gajeel Redfox."

Mr. Tohiba nodded, then began his story. "I am the curator for this city's museum. Two months ago we recieved a mysterious artifact that had been uncovered at a dig site. It is a tablet with writing in an ancient language. We sensed a strange aura around it but we didn't think it was anything too valuable. I myself am not an expert in written languages so we called in several specialists. None of them were able to decipher it unfortunately. Then, three days ago, it was stolen from the museum's storage room. This makes me believe that there is something special about the tablet. I called you in because I would like you to both catch the thieves and decipher the writing, if possible."

Gajeel pointed at Levy with his thumb. "If anyone can decipher that code it's Shorty over here. She's the best there is." he said proudly.

Levy blushed. "I-I'll do my best. May I see the writing?"

The client handed her a piece of paper. "Here is a picture of the tablet. Does anything look familiar?"

She inspected it carefully. "It seems to be a combination of two writing systems. I can read a few of the runes like 'utter' and 'world' but I'd need to look up the others. Luckily I have my rune dictionary with me." she said, patting her bag.

"Very good! I'm impressed! I know it's rather late so I won't ask you to begin work tonight. The local police are attempting to track the thieves and they will let me know if they find anything. I'll relay any news to you of course." He stood to shake their hands.

After being dismissed Gajeel and Levy found a place for dinner before heading to their inn. When they got there they discovered there was only one room available. Luckily it had two beds. Levy didn't know what she would have done if they had had to share a bed; she flushed just thinking about it. Once they reached the room Levy showered and got dressed in the bathroom. She came out to see Gajeel lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling. She sat on the edge of her bed facing him. "What are you thinking about?" Levy rarely saw him like this, but she recognized a contemplative look when she saw one.

He shrugged his shoulders. "Just thinking about all the solo missions I've gone on. They get lonely sometimes. It's more interestin' when someone else comes along," He turned his head toward her but averted his eyes. "So thanks for comin' Shorty."

"You're welcome." she whisered softly.

Without another word he got up and headed into the bathroom. By the time he came out Levy was in bed, pretending to be asleep. He stood over her for a second as if debating something. Then he whispered "G'night Levy." before climbing into his own bed and turning out the light.

**Isn't Gajeel so cute? I just imagine him opening up to Levy once he's comfortable around her. In othe news, Pantherlily is going to be in this story! He will make an appearance on chapter 7! Hope y'all liked it! Please feel free to review, I love hearing what you guys think. 3**


	6. Chapter 6

**Kon'nichiwa! So I'm posting this a day early because I won't have time to post it tomorrow. Like I said in the last chapter I will now be posting regularly on Wednesdays. This chapter is pretty short unfortunately. :( But it's really action packed! Pantherlily comes back in the next chapter! Yay! Enjoy!**

The next morning, as they were eating breakfast at a cafe, Levy was translating the writing from the tablet. "Do you know what it says yet?" Gajeel asked her.

"All I can make out so far is something about reciting a spell. I need a little more time to figure it out."

"Well it's gonna have to wait, Shorty. We gotta go meet the client now."

They paid for their food and returned to the client's home. Mr. Tohiba met them himself in the foyer. "You're here! Wonderful! I just received word from the police that they traced the thieves to their hideout. It looks like they're a dark wizard guild."

Gajeel looked at Levy. "Whaddya wanna do Shorty?"

"We should go after them. The translation can wait a little longer. Getting the tablet back should be our first priority."

He nodded and turned to Mr. Tohiba. "Do you have the location?"

* * *

A short time later the mages were in a carriage headed for a nearby village. Gajeel was of course incapacitated so Levy was using the time to finish translating the tablet. As they neared the village she finally finished. He eyes widened as she read it over. "Gajeel! Wake up! You have to hear this!" Just then the carriage stopped moving, so he was able to sit up. They quickly got off and Levy showed the paper to him.

The words written here are for those who wish to utterly destroy their enemies.

If a user of magic utters this spell, all whom they despise will perish.

If it is uttered incorrectly, all the world shall perish.

As Ira Non Sira

Rieki Wo Haro

Binti A Khoko Son

Wuo O Jiran

The pair looked each other in the eyes. "This is-" Gajeel started.

"-not good." Levy finished.

* * *

Levy and Gajeel made their way through the woods toward the dark guild's hideout. They came up with a plan as they walked along.

"We should just storm the place. I wanna kick some ass."

"I actually agree with you. It's imperative that we get the tablet back quickly and we don't have time to call for backup. You bust down the door, and I'll support you."

"Gi hi hi, sounds like a plan." Gajeel was raring to punch somebody. It had been far too long since he had pounded a dark guild rat.

As the rundown building came into view Levy stopped and grabbed Gajeel's arm. "Please be careful." she said, looking up at him urgently.

He grinned at her. "Don't worry Shorty; I can handle it. I promise to protect you too." He ruffled her hair, making her pout and punch his arm.

They crouched behind some bushes in order to assess the situation inside the guild. "I smell at least fifteen, but no more than twenty. Their magic power is pretty low, shouldn't be a problem for the two of us." Gajeel smirked, wondering how a bunch of weaklings had managed to form a guild.

"That's still a good number of people. Don't be reckless."

"Got it." Gajeel stood. "Let's go."

He stood in front of the door, ready to use his iron pillar to blast it apart. Levy stood back to back behind him, already in battle stance.

"On the count of three" Gajeel said.

Together they counted. "One...Two...THREE!"

Gajeel blasted the door and Levy pivoted as soon as splinters stopped flying. They stormed the hall together, attacking the first people they saw. By the time the dust cleared they had already taken out six dark wizards between them. The biggest guy ran straight at Gajeel, but Levy stopped him with a lightning strike and swift kick to the privates. Within fifteen minutes they had all the grunts tied up with rope that Levy conjured.

"Now," Gajeel questioned each one. "Where is the stolen tablet?"

"I-I don't know! I s-swear!" the last one answered.

Gajeel scowled. "Damn. I guess they don't know anything. Probably just the hired help."

"Then who has the tablet?"

"Dunno." He ran his hand through his hair in frustration. "Maybe-OI! LOOK OUT!"

A sinister figure had suddenly materialized behind Levy. It grabbed her and started to retreat with her kicking and screaming. "GAJEEL!"

"LEVY!" Two others appeared in front of him, blocking his path. "I know you!" he growled. He turned his arm into a club and swung at the skinny one. As he made contact he felt his senses go hazy. He fell to his knees. Then he felt a crushing blow to the back of his head. He hit the ground as his mind began to go black.

"GAJEEL! NO!"

He heard Levy screaming his name, but he couldn't do anything to save her. "Levy..." Then only darkness.

* * *

Levy woke up in a dark, damp dungeon. She tried to move and her muscles ached in protest. She sat up and felt heavy chains on her wrists. She attempted to use her magic but no good. _These must be magic repressing chains. _Memories of the fight came back to her. They had been ambushed, and Gajeel... They had hurt Gajeel. She began to sob. He might even be dead for all she knew. She was certain now that she loved him. There was no doubt in her mind. She looked out of the tiny window at the stars and moon shining down at her. "Please be alright." she whispered, as tears flowed down her cheeks.

The sound of the door opening made Levy turn quickly. She gasped when she saw who was standing there.

**Did I break your feels? If you can't tell I love/hate suspense. You have to wait until next chapter to find out who the villains are!**


	7. Chapter 7

Hi Everybody! Here's Chapter 7! I'm having slight writer's block with the next chapter, so send me happy thought please! Thank you to everyone who reviews, it makes me so happy. :D Also, I have a collection of Fairy Tail one shots out, and I've posted three chapters so far. It's got a lot of ships, plus I have some great plans for it. Hope you'll check it out!

Gajeel awoke feeling like he had been struck with a hammer. He realized right away that he had been poisoned, and very badly at that. Lifting his head slightly, he assessed the situation. The enemy had Levy. And here he was, completely powerless, unable to help the person he had promised to protect. He pounded his fist on the floor in frustration. Riding a train in this state was impossible, and even if he had the strength, it would take days to walk back to Fairy Tail. He was helpless. Just as Gajeel was starting to give in to his despair he heard a noise from outside. He froze, faint footsteps coming closer.

"Gajeel? Levy?"

"L-lily?" The exceed came into site, his weapon drawn. He looked suprised to see Gajeel on the ground injured.

"What happened? Where's Levy? I thought she was with you."

Gajeel sat up carefully. "They took her. We... have to get home... quickly! I'll explain... on the way"

Without hesitation Lily sprouted his wings and picked up Gajeel. He flew out of the forest and in the direction of Magnolia. The mage explained the situation with great difficulty. The poison wasn't wearing off, but rather getting worse.

"Rest for now," Lily said with concern, speeding up. "Wendy can heal you once we return to the guild."

Gajeel didn't reply. He couldn't rest. Not when he should be doing something to get Levy back. The poison was wreaking havoc on his body; he could feel it. He had to fight it though. No way was he giving in to a dirty trick by one of those dark guild scumbags. As these thoughts floated through his mind he drifted in and out of consciousness.

Within thirty minutes the guild hall was in site. Lily set him down right outside the doors and Gajeel pushed them open. He staggered inside and people turned to look at him. Shouts of concern were heard when they saw the state he was in.

"What's wrong with Gajeel?"

"What happened?!"

"Isn't Levy supposed to be with him?"

"Did somebody beat up him up?

A second later Master Makarov was in front of him, fear in his eyes. He had never seen the Dragon Slayer looked scared. Whatever it was had to be truly terrible. Gajeel couldn't hide his distress anymore. "They... have Levy." he whispered despairingly, dropping to his knees.

"Who? Who has her?!"

"Raven Tail."

Gajeel woke up in the infirmary with Wendy by his side, the young healer assessing his wounds. The Master, Mira, Juvia, Lucy, Natsu, Erza, and Gray were also in the room. When they saw he was awake the Master spoke to him. "Pantherlily has already told us your story so you don't need to tell it again. Right now you need to focus on getting well. The poison you came in contact with was particularly nasty. Another couple of hours and you would have died. That's probably what Raven Tail was expecting." Makarov's voice was full of cold fury. How dare Ivan hurt another one of his children? And to kidnap another? There would be hell to pay.

"No."

They all looked at him in suprise. Gajeel was glaring at the Master in determination.

"I can't just sit here, not when they have Levy. I promised I'd protect her. I ain't gonna give up cuz of a little poison."

"Gajeel-kun..." Juvia started to talk him out of it but Erza put a hand on her arm.

"Master, if you have no objections I have a plan. But it does require all the Dragon Slayers." she said.

"Wouldn't Natsu suffice?" Master Makarov had no intention of endangering any more of his children unless it was absolutely necessary. If Gajeel was not well enough to fight it would be dangerous to send him.

"Ivan is no fool. He will likely have planted Levy's scent leading in several different directions from the point of attack. If we wish to trace her we need the power of all three of the Dragon Slayers."

Makarov thought for a minute before turning to Wendy. "Is he well enough to go along?"

She checked his heartbeat again before giving an answer. "In a couple of hours he should be fine."

The Master nodded. "Alright then. You all meet back here in two hours for Erza's instructions. Be careful my children."

Natsu and Lucy were at her apartment, getting ready for the mission.

"You know," Lucy said thoughtfully as she packed some sandwiches. "I've never heard Gajeel call Levy by her name before."

"Yeah, that is weird." Natsu said distractedly. The young mage was playing with his fire, making it jump between his fingetips.

She raised an eyebrow at him and he stopped. "I think he loves her." she said matter of factly.

"What?! How would you know that?" Natsu almost fell out of his seat at this sudden declaration.

"It's just a hunch. Plus I'm good at reading people. No one has ever seen Gajeel the way he was today. It's like he broke inside... Like the darkness was taking over," Lucy thought sadly of how she would feel if something happened to Natsu. "If it had been anyone else he'd just be pissed, but with Levy... He definitely has feelings for her. "

Natsu shrugged. "I dunno." It felt weird talking about love and feelings. But it got him thinking about his own feelings. Besides Happy, Lucy was the person he cared most about. He knew that, but how much did he care? It had to be at least as much as Gajeel seemed to care for Levy. Right? His head was starting to ache so he changed the subject. "I was just thinking that it's a good thing Jet and Droy are out on a job. If they were here they'd want to come and they'd just get in our way."

"That's mean... and totally true," Lucy sighed. "We better go and meet everybody."

Gajeel was alone in the infirmary. Wendy had told him rather sternly not to move until he was fully healed. _The Sky Maiden must be taking lessons from Titania._ The thought of the littlest Dragon Slayer learning to be forceful amused him. He sobered, though, when he realized that the blue-haired girl reminded him of Shorty with her hazel eyes and sweet smile. He looked out the window, wondering how the sky could be so blue when he was hurting so much inside. Didn't the sun feel guilt for shining so brightly when all he wanted was to crawl back into the darkness? But he couldn't do that. Levy had done so much to pull him out of the darkness that he couldn't just give up. He had always known that she was the reason he was the man he was now: someone who actually cared for his guildmates.

Just then Pantherlily came in, a bag slung over his shoulder. Wendy was right behind him. "I got the stuff that we need." the Exceed stated, placing the bag on the foot of Gajeel's bed.

The Dragon Slayer grunted. "Thanks, Lily."

"How are you feeling Gajeel-san? Are you still in pain?" the healer asked as she checked his wounds.

"I'm fine," he muttered, wincing as she moved his arm up and down. "I just need to get outta here."

"I have faith in you Gajeel-san." she said abruptly. Lifting her head, she looked him straight in the eyes. "I know you can bring Levy-san back to us. You're the only person that can.

Gajeel was taken aback at how urgently and straight-forward Wendy was speaking to him. _Yeah, definitely taking lessons from Titania. _All he could do was nod.

The Sky Dragon stood up and walked towards the door. "I've healed you to the best of my ability. Everyone is waiting outside for us. Coming?"

Once everyone was assembled outside the guild hall Erza got down to business. "We need to get there as quickly as possible, so flying would be the best option. Mira and I can fly using magic and each carry a passenger. But we still have an odd number." She put her hand to her chin in thought.

"I have an idea!" Lucy said. "Gemini can copy Mira."

Erza nodded. "That should work. Can you call them out please?"

"Open, Gate of the Twins! Gemini!" With a puff of smoke the Celestial Spirit twins appeared. "Could you copy Mirajane and use her Satan Soul please?" Lucy asked them. They agreed and formed a perfect copy of Mira in her Satan Soul.

The Exceeds lifted off, carrying their respective Dragon Slayers. Mira also transformed into Satan Soul and picked up Juvia. Erza requipped her Black Wing Armor and picked up Gray. Lucy grabbed onto Gemini and they set off to save Levy.

Now you know who the villians are! It's probably really cliché but they fit what I want for the villain in this story. :p Please feel free to review!


	8. Chapter 8

**Sumimasen! *bows deeply* I'm so sorry for this being a day late! Most of the little time I was home this past weekend my computer was broken, so I couldn't type. I also copied all my stories to google docs to save them cuz my computer keeps crashing. I apologize. Anyway, enjoy!**

Levy glared at the man in the doorway of her prison. _Why the hell does it have to be this evil creep?_ She now knew that she was in the hands of Raven Tail. Despite her anger she still felt fear in the pit of her stomach.

"Why are you crying, my dear?" Ivan asked, giving her a simpering smile. She turned her head away from his malicious gaze, her eyes burning. "You don't want to spoil your beauty now do you?" He cupped her chin in his hand, forcing their eyes to meet. Levy shook him off and glared viciously up at him.

"What do you want, Ivan?"

"What do you mean?" The dark man faked innocence.

"What do you want with me, and with the tablet you stole?" the blue~haired bookworm wanted answers, and she wasn't going to fool around. If she could piece this whole mess together, maybe she could find a way out of here.

"Oh, well why didn't you just say so?" Ivan grinned evilly at her before standing up straight. "It's quite simple really. I want revenge."

"On who?" she asked guardedly.

"Fairy Tail of course. And specifically..." He turned to look at her. " a certain Iron Dragon Slayer."

Levy's blood froze in fear. After the Grand Magic Games Gajeel had explained to her about his undercover mission in Raven Tail. He had also told her that he would likely be a target for them now that they knew his true allegiance. That conversation had of course gotten pushed to the back of her mind.

"I thought it would be fitting to use the one he cares about most as leverage," the Raven Tail master continued. "That's you, obviously."

"M~me?!"

"Yes you. I watched carefully the way you two interacted at the Games. I also had Gajeel followed afterwards. You are the most precious person to him."

Levy didn't know what to feel. She loved Gajeel, but she didn't know if he felt the same. She was also angry and scared that she and him had been watched. Finally she was sad that her Dragon Slayer was the target of all this. All she could do was shake her head back and forth.

"Do you not feel the same? A pity." Ivan's voice was in contrast with his statement, expressing no concern on Gajeel's part. Rather, his tone contained total apathy. "I suppose I should explain about the tablet now. A girl as smart as you must have already deciphered it. I'm going to use the spell to wipe out Fairy Tail once and for all."

Levy didn't respond physically, she just asked carefully: "Why are you telling me this, anyway?"

"Because you have no hope," he stated simply. "Once your beloved Dragon finds his way here I will kill him. That is, if he isn't already dead. Then I'll wipe out the rest of the Fairies. I think that's all you need to know."

Without another word he walked out and locked the door behind him. Once the sound of his footsteps was gone the script mage broke down. She sobbed with her chin on her crossed arms, watching the tears hit the stone floor. _Is Gajeel really dead?_ Eventually she cried herself to sleep and curled up on her side.

A very much alive Gajeel, seething with determination, was leading the Fairy Tail group to the dark guild hall. "Slow down Gajeel-san!" he heard Wendy call. He slowed his footsteps just a little, grumbling about lost time. He only slowed down because it was Wendy; the littlest Dragon Slayer was actually close to his heart. A few moments later Natsu and Erza caught up to him, panting slightly. _Was I really going that fast?_ It was only then that he realized his lungs were burning. He leaned against a tree to catch his breath.

"Let's slow the pace for the rest of the journey." Erza suggested, looking at Gajeel's bandages with concern. He nodded, noticing that a few of his wounds were starting to bleed again. When the rest of the party caught up they continued at a slower rate. Pantherlily took the lead while Wendy checked his partner's wounds. Soon they could see the stone building through the trees. Once they reached it Erza gave the orders. "Mirajane, Juvia, and I will look inside for clues. The rest of you search outside and see if you can trace Levy's scent."

The Dragon Slayers started sniffing around while the others searched the ground for footprints or any other sign of the solid script mage. Presently Lucy found a book in the bushes where she saw searching with Natsu. "I found a book! Maybe it's Levy's!"

"And I can smell her!" Natsu called from her left.

Gajeel's head shot up but he frowned as soon as he saw the volume in Lucy's hands. "That's not Shorty's." he said shortly.

"How do you know?" Lucy asked, not able to hide her surprise and disappointment.

"She only brought two books on this job. That wasn't one of 'em. This is probably one of those fake trails Scarlet was talking about. Raven Tail used a stupid book to try to throw us off."

Everybody went dejectedly back to their search, Lucy still clutching the book as if it was Levy herself. After about an hour they came to the conclusions that there were no clues to be found, and Erza had been correct about Ivan leaving fake trails. They discovered three, one for each dragon slayer. Now they had to decide who would follow which lead.

Gajeel retrieved his and Levy's packs from where they had stowed them in a tree. Inside Levy's bag was a map of the surrounding area, telling them generally where each path led. The Iron Dragon Slayer knew which path he was taking, however. "I'm takin' this one." he said, pointing to the trail that had been near the planted book.

"I thought you said that one was fake?!" Lucy questioned.

"I know what I said. I just have a good feeling about that one." He didn't mention that his heart had given a small tug, indicating to him that this was Levy's real scent.

"Let him take it." Natsu whispered quietly to Lucy. He could tell from Gajeel's face that this was the right path. But they couldn't take the chance that one of the others was the real one, so they had no choice but to split up. He gave Erza a serious look and she nodded.

"Gajeel, Pantherlily, Mira, and I will take that path. Juvia and Gray take this path with Wendy and Carla. Natsu, Lucy and Happy will take the last one. If any group encounters Raven Tail they should call the other teams immediately on lacrima so we can rendezvous." The groups went their separate ways, a beaming Juvia holding on to the arm of an irritated Gray. Wendy followed them giggling while Natsu grabbed Lucy's hand and started running in the other direction.

Gajeel led his group in silence, relying on his senses to guide them. _I'm gonna find you Levy, and keep you safe... just like I promised. _

**I know this is short :p I'll do better next week hopefully, this has just been a busy week. But next week might be even busier. If I post late you will know why. Sorry in advance if I'm forced to do so! And a huge thank you to everyone who liked, followed, and reviewed. Your support means the world to me and makes me so happy! 3**


	9. Chapter 9

**Konnichiwa minna! I hope you all had a wonderful week! This is another filler chapter, but the intense action starts next week. Wish me luck writing it cuz I've never really written a battle before. Enjoy!**

Natsu, Lucy and Happy emerged from the woods into a large field. Natsu had been very quiet for most of the journey so far, and Lucy had been bursting from curiosity as to why. Finally she couldn't take it anymore.

"Why so quiet Natsu? It's not like you."

He looked off towards the other side of the field, scanning for any approaching enemies. "I've been thinking about Gajeel. The path he chose was the right one."

The Celestial Spirit Wizard was flabbergasted. "What?! How do you know that?!"

"Cuz he was certain and I trust his judgement on this. He infiltrated Raven Tail, remember? He knows Ivan and his tricks." He looked at her with serious eyes, then smiled his heart stopping grin. "So we get to explore until they call us for backup!"

Lucy could only shake her head and smile at his childish curiosity. "Ok, Mr. Explorer, but let's still follow the fake trail in case we meet any Raven Tail lackeys to pound on."

"Aye, sir!" said Natsu and Happy in unison.

"I'm a girl!"

Wendy and Carla had spent the last hour watching Juvia cling to Gray and it was getting tiring to say the least. Every time he tied to escape she would squeeze his arm even tighter. Wendy continued to smile politely, though she was getting rather tired of walking. "I think it's about time you rescued Gray," whispered a thoroughly irritated Carla. "Why not suggest a break?"

"Good idea." Wendy sighed relievedly before tugging on Gray's opposite sleeve. "Why don't we take a break for a few minutes, Gray-san? We've been walking for a long time."

"That sounds like a good idea." Gray gave her a grateful look before prying Juvia off his arm. She plopped down on a rock disappointedly, but perked up almost right away. "Are we still on the right path?" The ice-wizard asked, turning to look at the little Dragon Slayer.

She nodded. "Yes, though honestly I don't think this trail leads to Levy-san." The others looked at her with surprised faces so she explained further. "The path Gajeel-san chose is the correct one. Somehow he knew which way was right; I could tell by his face." Juvian glanced down at her lap and smiled softly.

"Maybe it has to do with that thing Grandeeney told me about…" Wendy continued thoughtfully. "About Dragon Slayers choosing a mate of sorts. Once they've become attached to someone romantically they can always find them. Now that I think about it, maybe that's why Natsu-san always knows how to find Lucy-san?" The Sky Dragon Slayer looked up from her musings to see Juvia with hearts in her eyes, Carla giggling, and Gray with a slightly sick look on his face. "_Gajeel and… Levy?!" _he was muttering to himself.

"Aren't you a bit young to be thinking about those things, child?" Carla asked.

"I'm not a baby Carla! Besides, I'm actually nineteen!" she crossed her arms and pouted at the Exceed.

Gray got over his shock and cleared his throat. "What do we do now? If this is the wrong path what's the point of following it?"

"Juvia thinks we should continue to follow it in case we come across any members of Raven Tail, but we should be ready in case Gajeel-kun's team calls us for backup." the water-mage put in.

"Ok, sounds like a plan."

"Mhm!"

"Agreed."

Gajeel's group was moving in tense silence. He was leading the way with Erza and Mira following closely and Pantherlily flying by his side. The two S-class wizards were watching their surroundings vigilantly. The presence of his partner greatly soothed the Iron Dragon and helped him to stay focused on the task at hand. He had to push his feeling for Levy to the back of his mind and focus on her scent alone if he wanted to get her back. He was so focused that he didn't notice the two women giving him worried looks from time to time. They could see the effect Levy's kidnapping had on him; he hadn't been snarky to anyone and only spoke when he had something important to say. The loss of the blue-haired bookworm was tearing him apart, the fear of losing her forever… They both doubted he would be ok if that happened.

For hours they followed the scent trail. It led them out of the woods, along the side of a river, and towards a nearby mountain range. At the foot of the closest mountain they found a path winding among the hills. In the dim light of the setting sun they saw a stone fortress built into the side of a mountain. Even from a distance they could see the numerous guards.

"It should be easy enough to get inside but they'll know we're there right away." sighed Mira. "So much for stealth."

"Ivan would probably have found us anyway. He's paranoid like that." Gajeel said with his arms crossed.

"For now we should call the others and think of a plan." ordered Erza. "We'll attack at dawn."

"We can't wait that long!" Gajeel proclaimed angrily.

"Gajeel…" Lily tried to calm him down but he waved the Exceed off.

"He has the tablet with the death spell, remember? There's no telling when he could decide to use it!"

"He has a point Erza." Mirajane pointed out.

The redhead sighed. She knew very well that Gajeel didn't give a damn about the tablet. He wanted to rescue Levy. "Fine. We'll strike as soon as it's dark and hope the others can get here as quickly as possible." She sat down on a rock and pulled out the communication lacrima to call Lucy and Gray.

Gajeel sat and stared moodily off into the distance. From his position he could hear Erza's conversation with the other two teams. He didn't pay attention until they said how long it would take them to get there. "We'll be there in about two hours." Lucy said.

"It should take us about two and a half." Gray put in.

"Ok." Erza agreed. "We'll already be inside when you arrive. Do your best to hold off the grunts and make your way deeper inside. The retrieval of the tablet will be up to you while we locate Levy."

"Why are you going in so soon?" Gray questioned.

"Um," the leader looked at the Dragon Slayer before giving a cryptic answer. "Gajeel felt it was for the best."

"All right," Lucy said hurriedly. "We'll be there soon! Bye! Let's go Natsu!" Her communication cut off.

"We're on our way. See ya." Gray also hung up.

"...Why don't we have a bite to eat?" Mira suggested, trying to break the tension and take everyone's minds off the battle to come. They came over grudgingly but couldn't help losing themselves in her amazing cooking.

**How was it? Please review, it makes me really happy! And a huge thank you to the people who review, especially the regular reviewers. You guys know who you are and you totally rock! In other news I was wondering what y'all would think of me writing a story about or including my OC. She uses a type of requip magic called Archery Magic. I would like her to be a Dragon Slayer because of my life-long obsession with dragons but that's so overdone. I was requested by a guest to write a Jerza story, and I'd like to do that before I do this one. Or maybe I'll combine them! The Jerza will likely be an AU unless I can come up with a solid idea. We'll just have to see won't we?**


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